Can opener



g- 9, 1932- D. M. WINANS 1,870,938

CAN .OPENER Filed March 2, 1931 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATESm'rrsu'rv o'rricefj;

DANIEL M. wI ANs, or BINGEAM'roN, NEW YORK; AssIoNoR 'ro DANIEL 1!.WINANS CORPORATION, or BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK CAN OPENER Application filedMarch 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,324.

My invention relates to can openers and particularly to a can openerwhich completely and smoothly severs the entire top of the can and whichduring the severing operation turns down the sharp severed portionaround the top of the can so that a smooth surface is left thereon.

One of the principal objects of my invention lies in the provision ofa'can opener which instead of requiring the operator to hold or steadythe can with one hand and cut with and move the can opener with theother hand, grips the can tightly so that it may be easily supportedduring the cutting operation and upon turning a novel and ingeniouscutting mechanism, rotates the can and simultaneously cuts the topthereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a can opener which enablesthe cutting of the can top with the supporting hand out of engagementwith the can and therefore out of the way of the cutting knife, thuseliminating the likelihood of slippage and resultant cut fingers.

A further object of my invention is to provide a can opener which inoperative position also serves as a holder for the can both during and 7after the cutting operation, whereby the opener is usuable as a lifteror handle and eliminates the necessity of the hands touching the can atall. This is particularly useful if the can being opened is hot as incases where food stuffs are cooked or heated in the can before use.

Another object of my invention lies in the provision of a novel grippingdevice for the can which serves as a holder, a feeding device, and aguiding means for the cutter.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the descriptionproceeds, reference now. being had to the figures of the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this application wherein like referencenumerals indicate like parts.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved can opener.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 taken from the opposite side,certainparts being opener in actual cutting posi- Figure 4 is a detailperspective view illustrating theusefulness of a can opener as a holderor lifting device for the can.

igure 5 is a'detail view illustrating a F slight modification of myinvention.

11 carrying out my invention I provide a pair of lever members 1 and2,one end of each of which is curved as at 3. The curved ends are offsetslightly from the plane of the levers as at 4 and theseends pivotedtogether as at 5 by any suitable pivot means. Thus there is provided apair of cooperating levers or clamping jaws, the free ends6 of which aregrasped by thehand of the operator to move the pivoted levers towardsand away from each other for a purpose to be described. I

A bail 7 is pivoted as at 8 to the lever member 2 and is in the form ofa single piece bent back upon itself-around the upper lever member 1whereby the separation of the lever members is'limited, and the same areheld against lateral displacement. The ends 6 of the levers thusconstitute the handles and of course, may be of any desired form orshape or provided with any suitable hand grips as may be desired. r

The lever member 2 is provided at a point 7 adjacent the pivoted ends ofthelevers with i a disk or wheel 9, suitably mounted for free rotationonthe lever as at 10. The periphery of thedisk 9 extends beyond the edgeof the lever member 2 as is clear from the figures of the drawing.

Rotatably mounted upon the upper lever member 1 at a point correspondingwith the mounting of the disk 9 on the lever 2, is a toothed wheel 11adapted to be rotated by means of a crank or finger piece 12, therotatable parts being suitably journaled as by the sleeve bearing 13 inthe lever member '1.

Obviously any desired type of rotating means for the toothed wheel 11may be provided, the finger piece 12 being intended as illustrativeonly.

The lever member 1 is providedwith a lateral extension l hitheupperifree end of which is turned-over to provide a flange I5 'which iscut out centrally as at 16 to receive'the-re'-' duced end .17 .ofaknife. member .18 securedto the extension 14' inany suitable-manner asat 19. Of course, any'desiredmeans forse curing the knife on the lever 1may b63310 vided, the form shown being intended as illustrative only. T.

The knife member 18 is, as shown clearly in"'Fi*gure"-3,- o ffsetintermediate its length as at 20 and extends downwardly past the toothedwheel 1 1 and below the *lower. edge ofthe lever meniberfliThis-'lower'extend'ing end of the 'knife is p-ointed as at 21 to providea piercing means for the top 5220f the canj 23. "The edges of this;pointed end of the knife are, .o'f -conrse', left sharp to provide acutting means for the top ofthe ean. V

The knife 18 provides a bearing as zit-24 shown-clearlyin Figures land'Q. 'In such position *the operator new -e'Gmp-resses; 'the handlemembers 6 of the levers 1 and-2, a'nd of::course =forcesthe pointedknife member throughthe :topof'the canan'd downwardlythereindirectlyiadjacentthe inside surface of the ean, -untiltheto'othed wheel 11 engages the u-p-per surface of the -bead 2%;.Continned pressure on the handles 5 6 of course, holds the toothed Wheel=11 in tight engage I ment -with the upper-surface of the jbead2'5and-the rotatable disk. '9 tightlyagainst the under surface thereof, Inthis positionithe cutting endofthe knife 18' extends downeeiniyaaaehe si-toe pas-ima th jpe-j bead 25 and consequently rotates the can 23, theknife of course, cutting the top 22 during such rotation. A fullrotation of the can, resultsin the complete cutting of the top 22 whichmay then be removed entirely. It will be clear from Figure 3 that theinner surface of the knife member engages the inner upper edge of thecan and bead duringthe cuttingoperation,compressingthe cut edge thereofbetween the knife and the bead, the opposing surface of the rotary disk9, assisting such compression, whereby-the cut. edge a is turned tightlyin alongside thei'nner surface of the "can whereby no sharp edges areleft when the cutting operation iscompleted. It will also be notedwithreference to Figure 3 that the toothed wheel 11is offset laterally with;respe ct'to the rotary disk 9 a slight amount,

sufficient. merely to accommodate the thick- .ness o'f thecanr23rbetweenthe knife and the disk 9. I

"Fromthe foregoing' it will be obvious-that with the cano'pener-in'cutting positionitacts as a handle or holding deviceforthe'ca'n; the can being unable to become detached so'long as pressureis maintainedfupon :the handles 6. Therefore,'the opener may,'asillustrated in Figure 4:, be used as a liftingdeviceifor the can-, thusfacilitating pouring the -con-, tentslout-o'f the can.iFronrtheforegong'ile scriptioni-t-is, of course, obvioustthat-theoperator need notnecessarily 'touch the can at a all, r as the openermay be attached without holdingthe can and a'fterzatta-chmentitsecurely' gripsand holdsthe can. This feature is particularly usefulinconnection with the opening of cans which are hotor dirty. In Figure 5thereis-shownagslightmodification-of the invention wherein the positionof the rotatable disk and the toothed wheelare'reversed'fromthepositions-shownin the otherfigures of thedrawing. InFigure -5 the toothed wheel 110; is shown mounted on the lower levermember *2 and the rotatable disk 9a is mounted on the upper lever 1. Theoperation of the device is i-dentical with that describedfthe onlydifference being that in this case thetoothed wheel 11a engages andbites into the undersideof the'bead-Qfiof the 6211123 and :the rotatabledisk .90 opposes the pressureon the-"top of the-bead. "Otherwise thestructure and operation oftheopener is identicalwith that justdescribed. Of coursechanges 'maybe made indetails of, construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope Ofmyinvention. 7 I do not limit myself to the specific rorm 'here'inshownand described other than by the appended-claims.

i iii if%w pri is'ajr -l f Piv-i oted levers videl ithapairtof rotatablea spr n has.sateenm nner ih'g methane adapted to eng e the upper surfaceof the head of acanhndyacting to turn the can when rotated, the other ofsaid means being adapted to engage the under surface of said bead inopposing relation to said first means and in substantial alignmenttherewith, and a knife carried by one of said levers and independent ofsaid gripping means operable to cut the top of said can when turned.

2. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end,rotatable can grippingmeans on' said levers intermediate their ends andinsubstantial alignment said means comprising a toothed wheel adapted toengage the upper surface of the bead of a can and a second wheel adaptedto engage the underside of said bead in opposing relation to saidtoothed wheel, said means coacting to turn the can when rotated ingripping position, and a knife independent of said gripping means intop-cutting position during such turning, said knife being carried byone of said levers and extending to a position alongside said grippingmeans but inside the can.

3. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end,rotatable can gripping means on said levers intermediate their ends andin substantial alignment, said means coacting to turn the can whenrotated in gripping position, and a knife carried by one of said leversand independent of said gripping means in top cutting position duringsuch turning for cutting the said top inside of said bead, one of saidgripping means being toothed and adapted to bite into the upper surfaceof the bead of the can upon rotation, for turning the can.

4. A can opener comprising a pair of pivoted parallel levers eachprovided with a rotatable can gripping wheel mounted in substantiallyopposing relation intermediate the ends of said levers and one of saidwheels being toothed for biting into the top surface of the bead of thecan when in gripping position, means for rotating said toothed wheel toturn the can and a knife independent of said gripping means andcarried'by one of said levers adapted to cut the can top inside the headas the can is turned.

turning, one of said gripping means being toothed and adapted to biteinto the upper surface of the bead of the can upon rotation, for turningthe can.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

DANIEL M. WINANS.

5. A can opener comprising a pair of pivoted parallel levers eachprovided with a rotatable can gripping wheel mounted in substantiallyopposing relation intermediate the ends of said levers and one of saidwheels being toothed for biting in the top surface of the bead of thecan when in gripping position, means for rotating said toothed wheel toturn the can and a knife independent of said gripping means and carriedby one of said levers adapted to cut the can top as the can is turned,said knife extending into the can beyond the peripheries of both of saidwheels in cutting position.

6. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end,rotatable

